World’s Best Cities: Udaipur Ranks 3rd for Second Successive Year, 5 Things Which Make The Lake City Deserve the Title

The city of Udaipur has found itself a coveted rank in the list of world's best cities. For the second consecutive year, the lake city maintains its 3rd rank in the best 15 cities of the world, according to a travel magazine Travel + Leisure. The city of the Maharanas carries within itself an amalgamation of royalty, culture and scenic beauty. While getting this rank, needless to say, Udaipur has beat many international tourist hotspots.

As part of the World’s Best Awards survey, readers of Travel and Leisure magazine were asked to rank their favourite urban destinations based on sights and landmarks, culture, cuisine, friendliness, shopping, and overall value. It is the only Indian city which has made the mark on this list, and it is a good enough reason for you to experience the culture if you still haven't.

Let us tell you 5 Things That Make Udaipur One of The Best Cities in The World:

The City of Lakes:

The city has an interconnected lake system divided majorly into three parts- upper lakes, city lakes and downstream. The location of these lake banks is also too scenic. Lake Pichola and Lake Fateh Sagar, are the two most popular lakes in the city which definitely deserve a visit. These two are vital identities of the city which take its beauty to another level.

Restoring History Through Palaces and Forts:

The city has a lot of restoration of its historical culture through palaces and forts. It is the historic capital of the kingdom of Mewar in the former Rajputana Agency. And the history of the place is maintained very well through its palaces and forts. The City Palace is a major attraction and also has a museum within. The architecture of all the palaces in the city is exquisite. The palaces here take looks of castles and the grandiosity it emits has to be experienced. There is also the Lake Palace, Monsoon Palace which you can visit.

Not only the palaces, the Kumbhalgarh fort is another majestic depiction of history. It is a World Heritage Site which was built in the 15th century. It boasts of having the largest wall complex. There are 360 plus temples in the fort of Hindu and Jains both. One can experience expanses of beautiful landscapes from the top of this fort.

Museums and Temples: 

The city of Udaipur exhibits its historical backing too well. Along with the palaces and forts, there are some temples and museums which too depict the royal culture and history of the place. Among the many famous temples is the Jag Mandir which is built on an island in Lake Pichola. There is also Ek Lingji Temple, Jagdish temple all of which are marvellous specimens of architecture. Udaipur also preserves the best of historic artefacts in its museum. There is also a vintage car museum in the city which will give a peek at the royalty through the classic cars in here.

Culture: 

With so much of history and royalty imbibed in the city, the culture of Udaipur naturally speaks for itself. You can experience the customs and traditions very well, although now there is an adoption of the big city lifestyle. You can still find some ladies adorning the colourful Rajasthani dresses with loads of jewellery. There are some shows organised for tourists in palaces, which showcase the traditional dance forms. Bright vibrant attires are a mark of their culture. You can definitely shop for some embroidered and beaded work clothes and jewellery.

Traditional Cuisine:

Your experience of any place would be incomplete without having the authentic cuisine. In Udaipur, you can relish the best of Rajasthani food not to miss the famous Dal-Baati-Churma. In Rajasthani food, you will get a different twist to your regular vegetarian food, simply with their preparation. To get the best cuisine experience, try a thali, which will serve you a variety of all the traditional recipes. The street food culture of the place is also to good to relish. With most of these places by the waterside, you can get the best of food with a view.

This is the overall gist of what you can experience in Udaipur and the city still has so much more to offer. There are some secluded spots, tourists destinations which are straight out of a paradise and you will definitely enjoy visiting them. Udaipur offers an experience of royalty that is not unaffordable. The city has its vibe and you should definitely head here to know why it ranks in the world's best cities!

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Jul 18, 2018 11:01 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).